“The four winners selected are passionate about farming and ranching, and eager to share their stories about the innovative ways they continue to improve food production each day,” Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation said in a USFRA news release. “There are a lot of misconceptions and questions among consumers about how food gets from the farm to our tables. These four individuals are equipped with the passion and experience necessary to address these complicated issues and give honest answers.”

The search for the next faces of agriculture started last summer, and 9 finalists were named in mid-November. A panel of judges and public voting helped narrow the finalists down to final four winners. Click the video above to view Gilmer’s winner entry that won over the hearts of both judges and the public.

In a post on his blog, Gilmer found is the impact sharing his story has made on those around him.

“At the end of the day though, I'm just a guy that loves being a farmer and enjoys giving you a glimpse of what goes on around here,” Gilmer wrote. “Whether ‘my story’ reaches 50 people or 50 million, it has reached you and that's what's important to me.”